South Dakota governor signs flexible trucking law

South
Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds has signed into law a bill intended to provide
some relief to heavy haulers who are hit with hefty fines if they
are found carrying too much weight.

HB1172
provides for plea bargains to be offered to some truckers when they
are cited the first time under overweight truck regulations.

Supporters
said the measure was needed because honest mistakes were sometimes
made when loading trucks, the Aberdeen News reported. The
bill’s sponsor, Rep. Larry Rhoden, R-Union Center, said existing
law was too inflexible and resulted in penalties.

“Some
people think that loading trucks is an exact science,” Rhoden told
the newspaper. “I assure you it is not.”

Under
the bill, plea bargains would not be permitted for subsequent convictions
within four years. Nor could plea bargains be struck Feb. 15 to
April 30, when conditions make roads easier to damage.